Truck driver killed

PoliceMorphou – Απλικιού – Φράκτη της Λεύκας: Around 11am this morning, 38 year old Peter Economides from Aradippou, was killed when the truck he was driving left the road and crashed down a 50 foot ravine.

The fire service had to remove him from the vehicle.

ΘΑΝΑΤΗΦΟΡΟ ΤΡΟΧΑΙΟ ΔΥΣΤΥΧΗΜΑ
*** 38χρονος από την Αραδίππου, ο Πέτρος Οικονομίδης, είναι το θύμα θανατηφόρου τροχαίου δυστυχήματος, που σημειώθηκε σήμερα το πρωί στο δρόμο Απλικιού – Φράκτη της Λεύκας.
Το θανατηφόρο τροχαίο, συνέβη γύρω στις 11 το πρωί, όταν το φορτηγό όχημα που οδηγούσε ο 38χρονος στον πιο πάνω δρόμο, με κατεύθυνση τον φράκτη της Λεύκας, κάτω από συνθήκες που διερευνώνται, ανατράπηκε και έπεσε σε γκρεμό βάθους 50 περίπου μέτρων, όπου και ακινητοποιήθηκε σε κοίτη ποταμού.
Από το δυστύχημα ο 38χρονος, ο οποίος τραυματίστηκε θανάσιμα, εγκλωβίστηκε στα συντρίμμια του φορτηγού του και χρειάστηκε η επέμβαση μελών της ΕΜΑΚ, για τον απεγκλωβισμό του.
Η Τροχαία Μόρφου συνεχίζει τις εξετάσεις.


60 year old dies in fatal crash

Cyprus Police request for witnesses

Nicosia – Palechori Road: The collision occurred around 2.15 when car driven by a 70 year old traveled into the opposing carriageway and hit a car traveling the other way head on. This vehicle was being driven by a 60 year old from The Basilica of Constantine, Agia Marina Xyliatou.

The 60 year old was trapped in the vehicle and was found to have died on arriving at Nicosia General Hospital.

The 70 year old was seriously injured but out of danger.

The Police are appealing for witnesses.

Θανατηφόρο τροχαίο δυστύχημα
*** Σε νέο θανατηφόρο τροχαίο δυστύχημα που συνέβη σήμερα το απόγευμα στον δρόμο Λευκωσίας – Παλαιχωρίου, έχασε τη ζωή της η Βασιλική Κωνσταντίνου, 60 ετών από την Κλήρου.
Το δυστύχημα σημειώθηκε γύρω στις 2.15. όταν αυτοκίνητο που οδηγούσε 70χρονος από χωριό της Επαρχίας Λευκωσίας με κατεύθυνση τη Λευκωσία, κάτω από συνθήκες που διερευνώνται εισήλθε στο αντίθετο ρεύμα κυκλοφορίας με αποτέλεσμα να συγκρουστεί με το αυτοκίνητο που οδηγούσε η Κωνσταντίνου.
Από το δυστύχημα, η Κωνσταντίνου εγκλωβίστηκε στα συντρίμμια του αυτοκινήτου της με αποτέλεσμα να χρειαστεί η επέμβαση της Πυροσβεστικής Υπηρεσίας για τον απεγκλωβισμό της. Η 60χρονη μεταφέρθηκε με ασθενοφόρο στο Γενικό Νοσοκομείο Λευκωσίας, όπου ο επί καθήκοντι ιατρός διαπίστωσε το θάνατό της. Ο 70χρονος οδηγός του άλλου αυτοκινήτου μεταφέρθηκε επίσης στο Γενικό Νοσοκομείο Λευκωσίας, όπου κρατήθηκε για νοσηλεία. Η κατάσταση της υγείας του περιγράφεται σοβαρή αλλά εκτός κινδύνου.
Παρακαλείται οποιοσδήποτε γνωρίζει οτιδήποτε για τις συνθήκες του δυστυχήματος, να επικοινωνεί με το Τμήμα Τροχαίας Λευκωσίας ή με την γραμμή του πολίτη στον αριθμό 1460.
Το Τμήμα Τροχαίας Λευκωσίας διερευνά τα αίτια του δυστυχήματος.


Road Tax renewal 2012

Circulation LicenceRoad Tax for 2012 can be renewed online from today.

 

You will require the following details:
Registration Document (Log Book).
Credit card.
The last three digits of your ID, Alien Card or Passport number. This is the one shown on the logbook.
Insurance certificate may be required if cover commenced recently and has not yet been entered onto the database.

You must have a valid Test Certificate (Bi-annual Roadworthiness Test) if your vehicle requires one.

Details on other ways to renew can be found here.


Motorcycle road safety

Cyprus Police Suzuki GSX 750

Image by CyprusDriving via Flickr

A recent seminar on motorcycle safety in Nicosia highlighted much of what we already knew.  There is a total lack of riding skills on the island.

There is no training or test of basic competence prior to taking to the road. In today’s traffic conditions this is unsafe for all road users, not only the motorcyclists themselves.

The Transport Department examiners are not skilled enough or trained to assess another’s actions while keeping themselves safe, much less keep the test candidate safe. To believe that a car examiner can be put into motorcycle clothing, put on a bike and carry out a test is naive.

The seminar raised many issues and gave some constructive solutions.

Related Articles:


Insurance scams

Cyprus Police Suzuki GSX 750

Image by CyprusDriving via Flickr

It should be no surprise that there are now major vehicle insurance scams going on in Cyprus.

I became aware of one a little while ago in which the damage claimed to have been caused could not have been caused by the particular collision.

How it was dealt with was a bit disappointing as the vehicles were examined by an insurance assessor who stated on his card he had qualified in the UK. I would have expected better.

Insurance companies are independent companies who have to make a profit. They take the view that that is usually cheaper to pay the claim than to have a proper investigation. It is therefore easy for the those perpetrating the scam to get way with it.

It doesn’t help that the traffic police are not a specialist department in Cyprus and are therefore, as a rule, not trained in accident investigation. Certainly not to the level of a Roads Policing Officer in the UK.

Scams have been a big problem, particularly in the UK Midlands, and the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) have to put a lot of effort into combating it.

For more on the problem in Cyprus read the Mail article below.


A victory for road safety and common sense

 

Tomb of the Kings Roadworks

Activists against a proposed dual carriageway in Tomb of the Kings Road in Paphos will heave a sigh of relief as it appears the Mayor of Paphos Savvas Vergas has scrapped the idea.

He has apparently stated that a dual carriageway will not be built because of cost restraints. The Government would not release the extra money that was required to build the dual carriageway because the people didn’t want it.

Works will begin to upgrade the road in October of next year, the design of which will be decided in consultation with local businesses.


Paramedics start training on Monday

Cyprus Government  Mercedes-Benz Ambulance

The Cyprus Government has been talking about training paramedics for many years. Unfortunately the government failed to grasp the amount of training required to achieve the objective.

They seemed to be under the impression that they could train them in three months.  A check of any ambulance/paramedic training course in the UK or USA would have dismissed that idea.

The course that commences on Monday is for one year. The current training period in a UK University for an Diploma in Higher Education or a Foundation Degree in paramedic science is 2 years. For a degree (BSc (Hons) Paramedic Practice) the training is three years.

The training continues while operational with a mentor.  An experienced fully qualified paramedic.

The training period, as stated, may not be enough to qualify as a paramedic as we (in the UK or USA) understand it.

Any first aid or emergency training has to be a good thing but it is important that the capabilities and qualifications of the ambulance crews aren’t overstated.

The subject of driver training also needs to be addressed.  Getting the ambulance to the scene and then returning to the hospital safely and smoothly, often with the ‘paramedic’ working on a patient, requires skill.  Skills the current drivers do not have.

Ambulance drivers in many countries are part of the team and as well as advance driver qualifications also have first aid and patient moving skills  to assist the paramedic.

We now have new ambulances without the necessary drivers with appropriate driving skills or paramedic expertise to make them effective.